Would you believe it if somebody told you that Cleveland Guardians slugger Josh Naylor is performing at a similar pace as Shohei Ohtani?
Yes, it’s hard to believe; not because Naylor is a bad hitter because he is actually very, very good (more on that in a minute), but because Ohtani is in a tier of his own.
However, it’s true: Naylor has been performing at a similar level as the 2021 (and very possibly 2023) AL MVP… for the last 10 weeks.
Guardians insider Zack Meisel offered more details on Naylor’s incredible performance in this timeframe.
“Over the last 10 weeks, Josh Naylor boasts a .380/.414/.650 slash line. MLB leaders in OPS over that span: 1. Shohei Ohtani, 1.184 OPS; 2. Josh Naylor, 1.064 OPS,” Meisel tweeted.
Over the last 10 weeks, Josh Naylor boasts a .380/.414/.650 slash line.
MLB leaders in OPS over that span:
1. Shohei Ohtani, 1.184 OPS
2. Josh Naylor, 1.064 OPS— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) July 19, 2023
OPS is a fantastic stat because it allows us to evaluate a hitter using the most useful resources: his ability to get on base and his ability to accumulate total baes.
In this case, however, it’s safe to say Ohtani and Naylor get to their respective OPS in different ways.
Ohtani is more power and walks; Naylor is more contact.
That doesn’t mean Ohtani doesn’t make consistent contact or Naylor doesn’t have power: to the contrary, the former is hitting over .300 and the latter has 15 home runs, including two on Tuesday.
We don’t know where the Guardians offense would be if it weren’t for Naylor and Jose Ramirez.
For the season as a whole, Naylor is slashing a cool .311/.351/.524 and that includes an ugly slump to open the year.
Cleveland probably wouldn’t be fighting for the division lead at the moment without him.
NEXT:
Guardians Made Odd History In Much-Needed Blowout Win